Packing sleeve for overshots



Dec 24, 1929.

E. H. WILLIAMS PACKING SLEEVE FOR OVE RSHOTS Filed Sept. 21, 1928 2Sheets-Shea:

Dec. 24, 1929. E. H. WILLIAMS 1,740,849

PACKING SLEEVE FOR OVERSHOTS Filed Sept. 21. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheer. 2

\ B 5% I I 8 1 S 9 0 l- 9 Z 11 .4 2 1B I Z 4 f 5 1 3 A t 4 & 13 Ne wPatented Dec. 24, 1929 FATENT QFFEQE EDWAED H. WILLIAMS, OF GRAFTON,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL SUPPLY COMEANY, OE TOLEDO,01-110, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PACKING SLEEVE FOR OVER-SHOTS Applicationfiled September 21, 1928.

My invention relates to packings for overshots or fishing tools forbroken drill pipes through which a forced circulation of a fluid, suchas muddy slush fiui-d, is kept up during drilling operations. When suchdrill pipes are twisted apart, circulation of the slush fluid throughthe pipes naturally ceases, and the mud settles out of the slush fluidand shale may fall in around the drill pipes, soon causing them tobecome stuck and very difficult to free. if the circulation of fluid canbe re-established around the broken drill pipes, there is usually littleor no difiiculty in removing them from the wells, as the solidified mudis restored to a solution and the circulation of the fluid carries theshale upward and out of the well holes to the slush pits.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved packing forovershots or fishing tools whereby the circulation of fluid may bereestablished through an overshot and down through the broken drill pipein the well hole and upwardly around the drill pipe, the packing forminga fluid-tight fit between the 25 overshot and the drill pipe. Morespecifically, it is one object of this invention to provide acylindrical resilient packing sleeve slidable within the overshot andhaving at its bottom end an inwardly and upwardly extending annularflange resembling a truncate-d cone and provided with a central openingthrough which fluid may pass down from the oversliot and into the drillpipe.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 is a central vertical sectionof the lower end of an overshot fishing tool in operative connectionwith a broken drill pipe, one of my packing sleeves being shown incentral vertical section and in operative connection with the broken-offend of a drill pipe. Fig. 2 is a similar View but some of the lowerportions shown on Fig. 1 are broken away and the packing sleeve is shownoperatively con nected with the coruoling, at the upper end of which thedrill pipe has been broken off. Fig. 3 is a view similar to the upperportion of Fig. 1, but showing a drill pipe more completely filling thecross-section of the overshot than the drill pipes in Figs. 1 and 2.Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing SeriaI No. 307,393.

the packing sleeve resting on the coupling instead of on the end of thebroken-off drill pipe. Fig. 5 shows a modification of the packing sleeveshown in Figs. 1 to 4, one-half being shown in side elevation and theother half in central vertical section.

Referrirn to Figs. 1 and 2, I show an overshot fishing tool comprisingthe pipe or shank 1 extending to the top of the well and having a shoe 2screwed on its lower end. This shoe has a number of upwardly andinwardly projecting spring fingers 3 attached at their lower ends to theshoe by the screws l, but free at their upper ends. I show two lengths 5and 6 of a drill pipe connected together by the coupling '4'. The length5 is shown broken oh at some distance above the coupling. The portion ofthe drill pipe above the break is supposed to have been removed and thefishing tool has been lowered so that its lower end has telescoped thebroken pipe, the fingers 3 having passed below the coupling and snappedinwardly against the pipe length 6. If the shank 1 is pulled upwardlythe fingers 3 will engage the lower end of the coupling 7 and pull thebroken drill pipe upwardly out of the well unless the drill pipe hasbecome frozen or stuck in the well hole, as hereinbefore described.

I provide a cylindrical packing sleeve 8 composed of a flexibleresilient material, such as rubber, whose diameter is substantially thesame as the internal diameter of the shank 1. The sleeve has at itsbottom an inwardly and upwardly extending flange 9 in the form ofsubstantially a truncated cone which is provided centrally at its topwith the opening or orifice 10. Normally the flange 9 will have theundistorted shape shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of the sleeve issomewhat thickened forming an annulus 11 whose inner annular face 12converges upwardly, the inner face of the said flange being acontinuation of the face 12.

lVhen the fishing tool is lowered into a well as described, it hastherein a sleeve 8. lVhen the spring fingers 3 have passed below thecoupling 7, fiuid circulation is re-established by pumping it down thepipe or shank 1. The traveling fluid forces the sleeve 8 down in Fig. 1until it engages the broken end of the pipe length 5 where it becomeslodged, the annulus 11 becoming wedged fluid-tight between the shank 1and the pipe length 5 while the interior of the bottom of the sleevebecomes distorted by being forced partly down over the end of the pipelength 5 with the orifice 10 over the passage through the drill pipe.The pressure of the circulat ing fluid d 'orts the flexible resilientsleeve so as to prevent the passage of the fluid between the shank 1 andthe sleeve and also between the pipe length 5 and the sleeve. Normalcirculation oi the fluid is thus re-established, whereby the mud settledfrom the previously standing circulating fluid, and the shaleaccumulated around the drill p'pe are carried to the surface of the wellin the usual manner. The broken drill pipe may then be pulled out of thewell in t 1e usual manner.

In Fig. 2 the pipe length 5 is broken oil so short that the sleeve 8 iscaused to seat on the upper end of the coupling The sleeve is in Fig. 2shown in its natural or undistorted shape. lVhen the circulation offluid is established, it will be more or less distorted, but the orifice10 will remain practically central over or in the (lllll pipe and. thelower end of the sleeve 8 will eilectually seal the space between theshank 1 and the coupling 7.

In Fig. 8, the sleeve 8 occupies the same position as in Fig. 1, but thespace between the shank 1 and the pipe length 5 is narrower, causing theannulus 1 l to be distorted into a more cylindrical form, the upper endof the flange about the orifice catching over the end of the pipe length5, as in Fig. 1, and holding the sleeve in place.

In Fig. 4, the pipe length is brokenoil so as to let the sleeve seatdirectly on the coupling 7 which has substantially the same diameter asthe shank. The sleeve in 4 is shown in its undistorted condition. Whenthe circulating fluid flows down through it, it becomes distorted butprovides an e'll ectual seal between the shank and the coupling.

Fig. 5 shows a modified form of packing sleeve, marked 8 The partsmarked 9, 10, l1 and 12 are as in Figs. 1 to l. The sleeve 8 has a shortdistance above its bottom an external upwardly and outwardly extendingflange 13. There is an annular series or open ings or orifices i l nearthe upper end of the sleeve and at both sides of this series of openingsis the external annular rib and between the flange 1-3 and the rib 15 isan annular series of openings 16. The flange 13 and the rib 15 formlines of friction contact between the sleeve and the shank, whereby thesleeve will slide down more freely to its contact with the coupling orpipe length end than it would slide it the entire external cylindricalsurface 0t the sleeve engages the shank. The openings 14 and 16 are forgreases equalizing the fluid pressure between the inner and outersurfaces of the sleeve.

1. In combination an overshot for a pipe, the overshot having arelatively long upwardy extending hollow shank, a cylindrical resilientpacking sleeve slidable within the shank forming a seal between theperiphery of the sleeve and the innerwall of the shank, said sleevehavin at its bottom end an inwardly and upwardly extending annularflange in the term of a truncated cone and a central circular openingthrough which a fluid may pass into the pipe.

2. in combination an overshot for a pipe, the overshot having arelatively long upwardly extending hollow shank, a cylindrical resilientpacking sleeve slida. le within the s.-ank, said sleeve having at itsbottom and an inwardly and upwardly extending annular fiance in the formof a truncated cone and a l circular opening through which a fluid mayass into the pipe, the sleeve havan annular external projecting portioncombination an overshot having a long upwardly extending hollow a clindrical resilient packing sleeve in the shank, said sleeve having endan inwardly and upwardly extending annular flange in the form of a trncated cone and a central circular ope-ning through which afluid maypass, the sleeve having external annular ribs, there being openingsthrough the sleeve between the rib l. In combination an overshot for apipe, the overshot having a relatively long upwardly extending hollowshank, a cylindrical resilient packing sleeve slidable within the shank,the periphery of the said sleeve being adapted at positions of thesleeve in the shank to seal the annular space between the pipe and thesaid shank and having a portion adapted to lie over the upper end of thepipe and also having an opening through which fluid may pass into thepipe.

5. in an overshot, a hollow shank slidable longitudinally downwardlyover a sipe with a tree upper end, a lined support for the pipe, and acylindrical resilient packing sleeve slidable within the shank above thesupport and forming a seal between itself and the inner wall of theshank and having at its bottom end an inwardly and upwardly extendingannular flange in the form oi a truncated cone and a central circularopening through which a liuin may pass into the pipe, the inner face ofthe truncated cone forming a seal between itself and the said end or"the pipe.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afilX my signature.

EDWARD H. WILLIAMS.

